(ThyBlackMan.com) Church can truly bring people together. This guide on how to grow a church lists 5 tips for increasing church attendance.
Are you looking to attract more flock to your congregation, but aren’t quite sure how to do it? For many religious leaders, increasing their church attendance can feel like a daunting task, especially when you consider the fact that church attendance has declined over recent years. In fact, according to a Gallup poll, between the years 1998-2000, 69 percent of adult Americans were members of a church. Between the years 2016 to 2018, that number dropped to 52 percent. So, what can you do to turn these numbers around? Check out this guide to discover how to grow a church.
1. Make Your Church Welcoming for Newcomers
When it comes to increasing church attendance, first impressions are everything. If a new person doesn’t feel welcome into your church after their first visit, they’re likely not going to return. So, take a step back and evaluate your church from the perspective of an outsider. Do you have ushers that promptly greet members of the congregation? Is the pastor making an effort to welcome new members and encourage them to come back? Are there groups that new members can join that encourage them to get to know other churchgoers? 
2. Get Online
Having an online presence is another great way to increase church attendance. With a website and a Google My Business page, newcomers will be able to find your church through a quick internet search. And don’t worry, you don’t need to be super tech-savvy to build a website. All you need to do is choose a church website builder and the rest is easy. However, it’s not enough to just build a website, you also need to maintain it and have the right information on it. Your website should include bios on your priests/pastors, worship times, information about your religion’s ideologies and beliefs, and information about ways people can get involved with your church. We also suggest running a blog on your site in order to stay current and keep your congregation well-informed. In addition to building a website, you may also want to create social media profiles on Instagram and Facebook.
3. Engage Current Members
Increasing church attendance isn’t just about attracting new members, it’s about retaining your current ones. The more you engage your current congregation, the more likely they are to keep coming back every Sunday. Additionally, the more satisfied your current congregation is with your church, the more likely they are to recommend it to others.
Here are some things you can do to engage your current members:
- Host community charity events (ie carnivals, picnics) and encourage members to attend/volunteer for them
- Host a vacation bible school
- Organize community volunteer projects/programs
- Organize a local sports team
- Offer the talents of your congregation to your community
As you can see, there’s a lot that you can do to involve current members.
Now that you know how to grow a church, it’s time to put these tips into action. Before you know it, the pews will be packed every Sunday! Be sure to check back in with our blog for more articles like this one!
Staff Writer; Larry Barker